Prayers for Peace

admin |

by Wendell A. LaGrand

As violence grips Chicago, particularly teenagers and more recently law enforcement officers, the search for solutions continues. The recent killing of another Chicago youth, 19- year old Damian Turner, while listening to his iPod near 63rd Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, has

galvanized and outraged neighborhoods across the city even more. To combat the ill, last weekend Black Catholic Deacons of Chicago hosted simultaneous back to school sunrise prayer services on beaches in five different locations. Hours later, in the Chatham neighborhood, elected officials and community groups came together at a hearing addressing violence in the citys schools.

Clouds overcast Lake Michigan and the early morning crowd of parishioners that gathered at 6.am, last Saturday on 63rd Street Beach and Lake Shore Drive for a series of early morning prayer services.

Across the city, people prayed for an end to the violence gripping the citys streets.

As groups assembled to pray, sing and to become beacons of light, in what the Black Catholic Deacons of the Archdiocese of Chicago described as a dark age of violence that presently inhabits the land, people prayed for the violence to end and asked for protection of the children heading back to school this year.

During the same services, a special prayer was rendered for the Chicago Police Department at 8a.m., and although the event was organized by the Black Deacons, it was a multi-racial and interfaith prayer service.

Services were held simultaneously at beaches across the city including Oakwood Beach, on 4100 S. Lake Shore Drive; 31st Street Beach and at 12th Street Beach.

Further south, State Representative Constance A. Howard and State Senator Donne Trotter in conjunction with the Chesterfield Community Council, the Blackstar Project, Park Manor Neighbors, Greater Chatham Alliance and nine other organizations convened a community hearing on violence in Illinois Schools to explore solutions for prevention of violence among children between the ages of 7 and 17.

During the two hour event, the discussion focused on the roles parents, schools and communities play in teaching youth to respect each other. We need to put the brakes on and strengthen the family system. Teach them (the children) social and emotional skills, said Dr. Carl C. Bell, University of Illinois at Chicago, professor of psychiatry and public health and director of the Institute for Juvenile Research. Phillip Jackson, of the Blackstar Project echoed Bell adding, Rebuilding the family is what we have found works. Jackson said. We have a problem, not just in the schools. The solution is not in schools and not with police. We have found that men have got to step up. Men must get involved, he said.

Most of my friends are at home without a male, said 15-year old Michael Harris. I came here to say we need helppart of the solution to combating violence in Chicago and in schools, is for people, especially men to get involved, he said It may sound outrageous, said Jivon Murray, a 17-year old Mount Carmel High School student who attended the event. But students, if you see someone doing something wrong, its time to take a stand, he said.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

STARR Community Services International, Inc.